-The data from the Shop Local 30 campaign, recently released by the Neillsville Area Chamber of Commerce, provides more than just a glimpse into the shopping habits of local residents.

The project, which asked volunteers to pledge to shop local exclusively during the entire month of September and provide information on any outside purchases and why participants may have been compelled to shop outside of the city and where.

Most individuals involved in the study were in the 51 to 60 age group and considered “blue collar” workers.

Each of the campaign’s participants was provided with a list of local retailers and the products they carry.

This information, coupled with the commitment to seek out items previously purchased elsewhere, produced comments such as, “We are finding many items locally that we were accustomed to just buying in Marshfield,” and “No shopping out of town this week. Neillsville had it all.”

Even though a small portion of the population participated, the data was an eye opener.

“One of the most shocking pieces of data,” said NACC Executive Director Deanna Heiman, “was the total amount of purchases outside of the city made by participants during the four week period. Keeping in mind that these individuals had taken a pledge to shop local unless absolutely necessary, they still spent $8,665.37 on purchases elsewhere. If this figure was applied to the city’s entire population, the amount would be staggering.”